The Tech Partnership announced yesterday that it has been commissioned to lead the efforts to define and create standards for basic digital skills.
The Partnership says that scheme is being led by the need for a universally accepted baseline in digital arena and so will work on producing a set of standards “that clearly describe the entry level digital skills required by business and industry.”
According to the announcement, the Partnership will create look to get input from Doteveryone and the Tinder Foundation, and will be looking to ‘draw on their substantial experience in this area.’ The work takes forward a recommendation from a recent government commissioned review of publicly funded digital skills qualifications.
Even though the scheme is in its infancy, there are some clues as to how the skills will be defined. The Tech Partnership says that there is to a division between two separate but complementary streams: basic technical skills, which include managing information, exploiting technology and increasing productivity; and behavioural skills, including critical thinking, teamwork and business awareness.
Digital skills fundamental
“It is significant that these standards are being created with employment in mind,” says Karen Price, CEO of the Tech Partnership. “Digital skills are fundamental to employment in every role in every sector, so being digitally competent is an essential for access to the job market. People who have these basic skills are enabled to make a positive contribution to the economy, improve their own circumstances, and lead an enriched life.”
The draft standards have been developed, and the public consultation process has begun, with employers, educators and other interested parties. On completion of that, and full standards developed, it is hoped they will then form the basis for all kinds of digital skills development activities: for individuals, they will help to establish the most important basic skills to develop as they move into employment, while training providers can use them to create learning plans and qualifications that will have a real impact on jobseekers’ prospects.
In the workplace, the standards will provide a framework for skills development that reflects the growth of digital across virtually every job role, and will ‘support the digital transformation of the workplace.’
